Knowledge Center
Public Space Management and Operations
Operations of a place requires the daily management of the physical space, whether publicly or privately owned, that encompasses cleaning, beautification, wayfinding, infrastructure maintenance, outreach, green space, and parking. Place managers address both the actual and perceived safety and security issues of a place by providing services, outreach and facilities. Place managers foster relationships with local and regional providers to share resources and information with the goal of cultivating safe and vibrant communities. Clean and safe teams have evolved within some districts to include engagement and intervention for those in need within our urban places.
Top Issues Council: Activating Public Spaces – A Guildebook for Urban Districts
The purpose of this guidebook is to identify fundamental challenges that downtown stakeholders encounter when they undertake placemaking efforts to activate public spaces, as well as innovate solutions to these challenges. This guidebook uses real world examples to analyze challenges and solutions to downtown placemaking initiatives in terms of their design, maintenance, funding, and regulation.
Read MoreTop Issues Council: Attracting Commercial Development
Attracting commercial development to an urban core relies on a multitude of factors to be successful. Some of the issues that need to work in tandem to create a platform for attracting commercial development include: a vibrant downtown, a user-friendly permitting process, available capital and land, infrastructure and ongoing management and maintenance. This report provides an overarching view of the evolution of urban retail throughout the past fifty years to the present.
Read MoreTop Issues Council: Prioritizing Pedestrian Improvements
In many ways, urban place management organizations such as business improvement districts (BIDs) continue to lay the foundation for pedestrian improvements by creating a clean, enjoyable environment for pedestrians. However, more effort is now needed to develop the infrastructure necessary to further capitalize on the trend of living, working, and playing in downtown areas. As global populations shift toward urban centers, the opportunity is ripe for downtown areas to improve walkability.
Read MoreCommunity Building – Creative Placemaking
Place management organizations work at the cross-section of thoughtful development and making culture accessible, increasing the quality of life for our districts. Pola Bunster, Director of Storytelling, Prism Creative Group, talks about the creative placemaking projects she has undertaken in Miami, tapping into the city’s culture to tell a story and create an experience.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Resilience on the Street – Preparing for the Unexpected
Communities around the United States have been rocked by unthinkable disasters, realizing only after the fact that an Emergency Operation Plan may have helped mitigate losses. This presentation walks through the immediate and rippling economic and social effects of active threat situations.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
The Underline – Building a 10 Mile Greenway
Meg Daly, Founder of Friends of the Underline, shares her story of turning a crazy idea for a 10 mile greenway project into a reality. She walks through the community engagement process and gives her advice for demonstrating the project’s importance to the community and government partners.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Urban Agriculture in Your Downtown
Urban farms are a beautiful and practical use of urban space, providing a number of benefits.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
City of Tulsa Advisory Panel: How to Bring Bustle to Downtown
IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. This panel was asked to assess the downtown’s on-the-street activity, street level offerings, and the governance and partnerships managing the downtown area. The report details the panel’s findings and recommendations.
Read MoreGSA Federal Courthouse / Civic Center Mall Toledo Advisory Panel: Making a Place
IDA’s Advisory Panels are a time-tested way to explore new ideas, solve difficult problems, and rally the board, staff and community around priority projects or topics. In this instance the panel was tasked with assessing the “sad, tired, and dismal” Civic Center Mall and determining whether the formation of a place management organization would be beneficial. The report details the panel’s findings and recommendations.
Read MoreNuts and Bolts to Creative Placemaking
Placemaking is a term that can be used to describe how stakeholders, municipal leaders, and neighborhood activists transform spaces into places, with characteristics and qualities that foster personal attachment and create community value. The process of gathering input, conceptualizing, designing, building, and maintaining the public realm all feed into the act and art of placemaking. This session shares real world lessons learned on challenges, and strategies to overcome those challenges.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
